The Practice Tracker

It's hard to believe the summer solstice is upon us. We’re also getting to the point in the season when all the changes in our routines are starting to settle in. Among countless other things, kids are out of school, summer trips are planned, and the sun is in the sky well into the evening. Which is just to say that our day-to-day lives and routines all get kind of out of whack in the summertime. But the quality of our lives (and the quality of our practices!) is deeply tied to our routines, and these changes can present unique challenges to our yoga journeys.

With good habits anything is possible. I often tell students that all they have to do for a good practice is unroll their mats and stand in samasthihi. That counts. If more happens? Awesome. If not? You’re still in the routine of your practice, and that is one of the very most important things. Having good habits isn’t about being perfect at those habits - it’s about letting yourself sacrifice your old ideas of perfection so you can actually stick with it. And what starts as one small victory can accumulate into the practice of small victories.

I made this practice tracker so that you can keep tabs on your own practice over the summer months. I’ve found that using a practice tracker makes it easier to stay motivated and to remember our successes, rather than getting dragged down by any little setback. We’re taught to expect progress to be linear. But with yoga, the way we learn doesn’t always fit into our expectations, and progress doesn’t always look like we expect it to. Sometimes, it takes years to realize that what may have seemed like setbacks ultimately created the opportunities for our greatest victories. With this tracker, you can look a little more clearly at your own practice and recognize the victory of simple continuity.

The purpose of this isn’t to set a goal - I remember Tim saying once, years ago, that yogis don’t really have goals. I always liked the simplicity of that, and the complexity. This practice isn’t about any single accomplishment. It’s about a cycle of infinite refinement and continuous improvement.

Ultimately, your commitment to the process will determine your progress. So have fun with this tracker! Use it for practice notes! Put the calendar somewhere you can see it, so it can keep you on track like it’s meant to!

And please share this with a friend! Don’t forget that when you work together, you rise together.